The pancreas is a critical organ that performs both endocrine and exocrine functions. It produces insulin and the enzymes amylase and lipase. In particular, lipase is involved with the breakdown of fats and amylase breaks down starch. Internal organs such as the pancreas can easily be injured in a trauma. These injuries, whether penetrating or blunt, may be difficult for a trauma surgeon to detect. Missed pancreatic injuries can be devastating, resulting in a patient's delayed morbidity and possible mortality. A trauma surgeon makes every effort to avoid missed pancreatic damage, but these injuries are often missed at the time of a diagnostic operation, or laparotomy. Significant pancreatic duct disruptions that result from pancreatic trauma may yield merely subtle or no visual findings at surgery, yet damage to the pancreas will generally result in the release of amylase and/or lipase outside of the enteric system due to disruption of the pancreatic duct or damage to the parenchyma.
There are several devices and methods available to evaluate a patient's pancreas after suffering trauma. The most commonly used and accurate test is a CAT scan directed at the pancreas with an IV and/or an orally administered contrast. Despite much research to develop devices and methods for detecting pancreatic injury, common tests require significant time and expense to complete, and also have a significant false-negative rate.